Work-support.



J. H. LESH. WORK SUPPORT. APPLICATION IILED JULY 6, 1908.

Patented May 11, 1909.

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Patented May 11, v1909.

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' i/iz rzess ea JOHN H. LESH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

WORK-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 441,969.

lVork-Supports, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates, as indicated, to work supports, and has more particular regard to the provision of work supporting means for use in connection with punches, drills or like machines in which the object to be worked upon requires to be brought successively into a series of different positions for the application thereto of the tool of the particular machine in question. In work supports or jigs designed for this purpose, it is usual to employ a pattern or tem let borne by the same support and adapter to cooperate with a finder in the same fashion as the object worked upon cooperates with such tool. In other words, if a particular point upon the pattern is brought into register with the finder, the work support is so constructed that the corresponding point of the work is simultaneously brought into register with the tool.

Certain constructions of work supports whereby the result just noted is obtained have been known for a number of years and the advantages incidental to their use, where, for example, a number of objects require to be similarly punched or drilled, is so obvious as not to require explanation. And even where but a single object is being worked upon, it frequently is a matter of considerable convenience to be able to locate the tool by means of a pattern instead of directly upon the work.

The object of the present invention is the provision of means for effecting the result de scribed that will be more simple in operation and economical in construct1on than any of the devices thus far put 011 the market, most of the latter being more or less cumbersome in character, and relatively expensive to build.

To the accom lishment of the above and related objects, t iis invention, then, consists of means hereinafter fully described and p articularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention. Such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a punch of conventional type showing associated therewith a work support embodying my several. improvements; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such punch and work support; Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the work support by itself and on a larger scale, one leg of the base being broken away Fig. l is a plan view of such work support Fig. 5 is a broken perspective detail of the same; and Fig. 6 is a di agram illustrating the principle of operation of such support.

The punch A has been referred to as but examplary of the mechanism in cooperation with which my improved work support is designed to be employed. Such punch being furthermore of the usual construction, no other details than that of the tool or punch a proper need herein be referred to, it being with the table on which the work is supported and brought into various positions with respect to such punch that we are at present concerned. In connection with the machine, then, whether punch or drill or whatever its character, there is provided a finder a that will assume various forms, dependent more or less on the character of the machine and its location. Preferably this finder a will be supported from an arm A rigid with the machine frame as shown in Fig. 1, and in the case in hand the finder will be simply a spring-pressed plunger vertically mounted in the outer end of such arm so as to bear at all times a fixed relation to the tool of the machine. The work support itself comprises a stand B located intermediately between such finder and the tool, preferably midway be tween the same, such stand being of any suitable construction and strength, de ending upon the character of the work eing handled. Pivotally mounted in a suitable bearing in such stand is a head B in the form of a transverse bar or beam terminating at opposite ends in enlarged transverse portions 1). Such terminal portions of thehead are provided, Fig. 3, with alined recesses or grooves b, on their inner side provided with ribs or projections adapted to slidably hold the lateral members of two similar telescoping frames B The latter, in addition to endinally of such transverse member.

gaging the ways thus provided in the head l are dove-tailed into each other so as to give rigidity to the structure even in the fully extended positions of such frame.

Movement of the frames is designed to be had in unison but in opposite directions, from hand-wheel B or other suitable operating mechanism. Such wheel is mounted upon a shaft 5 journaled in suitable bearings b in the head and provided with gears b one of which meshes directly, the other through an intervening train b of gearing, with racks b on the under sides of the respective side members of the frames. Such train of gear ing comprises a suitable number of pinions to impart, as stated, an opposite movement to the frame actuated thereby from the direction of movement imparted to the frame directly engaged.

Each of the frames is provided with suitable means for securing thereto the object to be worked upon or the pattern as the case may be. Such means in the case in hand comprise simply, see Fig. 5, a V-shaped groove 5 on the inner face of the outer transverse member b of the frame and a similar groove in the same plane therewith formed on the face of a member 5 slidably held in such frame at right angles to said transverse member. Clamping means b Fig. a of any approved construction serve to secure said slide member in any desired position longitu- The piece of work, in the case in hand shown as a gusset plate C, is then located by being placed with one of its straight sides in the groove 6 along the inner face of said transverse member 12 and the slide 6 brought up into position to engage said piece laterally by means of the corresponding groove therein. By means of suitable clamps I) provided in connection with transverse members If the plate may be securely held in place. The means for securing thepattern or templet C in the other corresponding frame B are ex aetly similar to those just described as being provided for the plate to be worked upon, and are designated by like reference letters. In fact the two ends of the support may, so far as their structure is concerned, support the work or templet indifferently. Being thus located, corresponding points on such two objects will likewise be symmetrically located with respect to said pivotal axis. Accordingly, as will be obvious, if any )oint on the templet be brought beneath the inder a, the point corresponding therewith upon the work will be brought simultaneously beneath the tool a of the machine. The diagram, Fig. 6, will clearly illustrate this. Rotation of the support about its axis being had conjointly with. the contraction or extension of the telescoping frames that constitute such support, successive points in a series, as of rivet holes on a gusset plate, can be located almost as rapidly as the machine can work. The hand wheel B for thus contracting and extending the frames is located in convenient relation to the finder so that the operator can manipulate the one with his right hand while attending to the other with his left.

As illustrated and described the axis of the work-su port is located midway between the tool of tie machine and the finder, and the movement of the frames accordingly requiresto be not merely in unison but at the same rate, and the size of the tem let should correspond exactly with that of the work. It

should not be understood, however, that my apparatus is limited to this precise arrangement and construction, it being a matter of simply mechanical expediency whether this be adopted or a faster or slower rate of movement of one of the frames than the other, be secured by suitably varying gearing 5 The operation of the apparatus may in this manner be readily adapted if found desirable to the use of a templet or pattern that is smaller than the object being worked upon, or vice versa.

Other modes of a plying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regard the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any one of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A work-support com )rising a stand, a head pivotally mounted tiereon, two telescoping frames slidably held in said head, and gearing connecting said frames whereby they are caused to move in unison in said head but in opposite directions.

2. A work-support comprising a stand, a

head pivotally iounted thereon, two tel-e-- scoping frames slidably held in said head, racks on said frames, gears connecting corresponding racks whereby said frames are caused to move in unison in said head but in opposite directions, and means on each of said frames for symmetrically locating objects thereon with respect to the pivotal axis of said head.

3. A work-support comprising a stand, a head pivotally mounted thereon, two telescoping frames dovetailed into each other, and slidably held in said head, racks on said frames, trains of gears connecting corresponding racks whereby said frames are caused to move-in unison but in opposite directions, means for rotating said gears, and means on each of said frames for securing objects thereon in desired relation to the pivotal axis of said head.

4. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder oceupyinga predetermined position with respectto the o erating tool of said machine, and a Wor support comprising a table pivotal about an axis intermediate between such tool and finder and adapted to bear the work and a pattern upon its ends so as to cooperate with such tool and finder, respectively.

5. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the o erating tool of said machine, and a worlisupport comprising a table pivotal about an axis intermediate between such tool and finder, said table being provided at its ends with means for symmetrically locating objects thereon with respect to such axis, the objects thus located being cooperative with such tool and finder, respectively.

.6. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a pre determined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine. and a work-support comprising a table pivotal about an axis intermediate between such tool and finder, said table being provided at its ends with means for securing objects thereon in desired relation to such axis to cooperate with such tool and finder respectively.

7. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work support comprising two relatively adjustable members pivotal about a common axis intermediate between such tool and finder and respectively adapted to bear the work and a attern in operative relation to such tool and 'inder.

8. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work support comprising two relatively adjustable members pivotal about a common axis intermediate between such tool and finder and respectively adapted to bear the work and a pattern in operative relation to such tool and finder, said members being connected so as to move in unison but in opposite directions.

9. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work-su port comprising two relatively adjustab e members pivotal about a common axis intermediate between such tool and finder and re spectively adapted to bear the work and a attern in operative relation to such tool and finder, and means on each of said members for symmetrically locating the object thereon with res ect to such axis.

10. T 1e combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work-support comprising a stand located midway between such tool and finder, a head ivotally mounted on said stand, two telescoping frames slidably held in said head, and gearing connecting said frames whereby they are caused to move in unison in said head but in opposite directions.

11. The combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a predetermined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work-support comprisin a stand located midway between such too and finder, a head ivotally mounted on said stand, two te escoping frames slidably held in said head, racks on said frames, ears connecting corresponding racks, whereby said frames are caused to move in unison in said head but in opposite directions, and means on each of said frames for symmetrically locating objects thereon with res ect to the pivotal axis of said head.

12. T e combination with a machine of the class described, of a finder occupying a pre determined position with respect to the operating tool of said machine, and a work-support com rising a stand located midway between sudlq tool and finder, a head ivotally mounted on said stand, two te escoping frames dovetailed in each other and slidably held into said head, racks on said frames, trains of gears connecting corresponding racks whereby said frames are caused to move in unison but in opposite directions, means for rotating said gears, and means on each of said frames for securing objects thereon in desired relation to the pivotal axis of said head.

Signed by me this 2nd day of July, 1908.

JOHN H. LESH.

Attested by D. T. DAVIES, JNo. F. OBERLIN. 

